Pro bono legal advice is to receive a 700,000 funding boost from the government, it was announced on January 11th.The money will support the extension of Law Works clinics run by partnerships between law firms and advice centres to provide free legal advice to people in need.

It will also fund the development of a new Web site to allow general help advice centres, quality marked under the Community Legal Service, to access support from pro bono lawyers via e-mail and allow willing lawyers to provide pro bono services from their desks.

The aim is to increase the number of lawyers able to offer pro bono work, and the quality of advice that centres will be able to draw from.Law Works is a partnership between the Law Centres Federation and the Solicitors Pro Bono Group whose aims are to increase and improve voluntary services provided by lawyers.Susan Bucknall, director of the Solicitors Pro Bono Group, said the grant will create more opportunities for corporate and in-house lawyers lawyers to provide pro bono advice.

She said: It will allow us to train City lawyers in social welfare law and it will extend the availability of advice by providing access to volunteer lawyers through the use of IT.Lord Chancellors Department minister David Lock said: The government wholly supports the many lawyers who show commitment to their communities by providing free legal advice.

This work complements the Community Legal Service, providing effective access to justice for many more people.

It is of course no substitute for publicly-funded assistance but is a welcome addition to our increased funding to legal aid.Bob Nightingale, chairman of the Law Centres Federation, added: There are many lawyers already volunteering in the community...

However, there is still a huge unmet need for free legal advice and many more lawyers are willing to provide that advice if given the opportunity.The money forms part of 300 million being provided by the government to fund new volunteering opportunities in the public sector over the next three years.

Half of the pro bono funding is coming from the Home Office's Active Community Unit, the other half from the Lord Chancellor's Department.The Active Community Unit provides funds for new volunteering opportunities in the public sector over the next three years.ends - Neil Rose